I have had the pleasure of meeting Jami Yeats-Kastner of Stanford Hills Estate who recently launched her first book, Sam and Me & the Hard Pear Tree, published by Jacana Media. I have not yet read her book but sat until well after midnight one evening reading her blog, mesmerised by the power of Jami’s writing and personality and drawn by her compelling story. Sam and Me & the Hard Pear Tree is definitely on my reading list.

Jami sent the following description of her book which features on the back cover:

This is a very sad book but not a depressing one. Sam’s death forces her to confront other personal truths about herself, her life and Sam’s older special needs brother, Jack.

Jami shares her journey with searing honesty and a wry sense of humour and, as she finds her way back into the light, it becomes less about grief and more about self-discovery, about synchronicity and about following the signs that are everywhere. If this story has a message, it is that finding your own true path is the only way to personal self-fulfilment and that it is only when we are ourselves fulfilled that we can be of proper service to others. Initially an unwilling seeker, this is what Jami eventually discovers, and in doing so she draws on all her available strength and inspirational new insights to continue building a happy future for herself and her young family.

About the author

Jami Yeats-Kastner is a 39-year-old mother of three amazing boys. Her youngest son, 18-month-old Sam, tragically drowned in the family’s swimming pool at their house on Friday 8 February 2013. Jami has written about her grief on her blog on www.crazybutterflylady.wordpress.com. Sam and Me & the Hard Pear Tree is her first book.

Note from Viv:

The Stanford Stumble takes place once a year to raise funds for The Butterfly Foundation: See